Board Books

Swing Slow, Sloth & Roly Poly Panda Cloth Books | Surya Sajnani | $19.99 each | Allen & Unwin | Ages 0+ These Wee Gallery cloth books are my favourite recommendation for anyone looking for a gift for a new baby. They saw my nephew through his first 18 months! He loved the plush pages and the crinkly noise they make when you turn them, and my sister-in-law loved that they’re machine washable. These two new books in the range sweetly introduce us to Sloth, Panda and their animal friends. The bold lines and repeating patterns are specifically designed to stimulate visual development in young infants, and Sajnani’s graphic illustrations are so striking and charming, they make for a present that is at once gorgeous and practical.

— Kate

Australian Baby Animals | Frané Lessac | $15.99 | Walker Books | Ages 2+ With one animal baby on each double-page spread, this colourful introduction to iconic Australian creatures groups them according to their baby names: joeys, hatchlings, fry, chicks, puggles, pups and platypups. The animals cover the full gamut of family groups, from marsupials to monotremes, reptiles to birds. Each baby animal is described by one line of text (in bold type). And there’s a special additional fact for extra interest!

— Kay

Baby Bowie: A Book About Adjectives | Pintachan | $14.99 | Running Press Kids | Ages 3+ A book about adjectives may sound boring, but not when it’s paired with the iconic rock star that is David Bowie. Let’s dance! Glitter stars. Spiky hair. Full of vibrant colours and fun learning opportunities, this board book is simultaneously educational and makes you want to go dancing in the street. That, my friend, is a winning combination.

— Olivia

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Giant Plush Toy

$ 75

Animals | Chihiro Takeuchi | $19.99 | Simon & Schuster | Ages 1+ This striking board book by renowned Japanese cut-paper artist Chihiro Takeuchi is gorgeous! Turn each boldly coloured peek-through page to reveal a busy array of stylised animals from the different continents of the world. Can you find one lion in Africa? Three toucans in South America? Five cockatoos in Oceania? An absolute delight for young and old, I love this just as much as Takeuchi’s previous board book, Colours.

— Mandy